Skip to main content

The science of milk - Jonathan J. O'Sullivan

2,936,391 Views

8,559 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

The milk industry produces in excess of 840 million tons of products each year. Why do humans drink so much milk? And given that all mammals lactate, why do we favor certain types of milk over others? Jonathan J. O’Sullivan describes how milk is made.

Milk is produced by all mammals, and the composition of the milk that each mammal produces varies. For example, reindeer’s milk has 20% fat in comparison to the 5% fat in cow’s milk. What are the reasons for these differences?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Jonathan J. O'Sullivan
  • Director Biljana Labović
  • Script Editor Mia Nacamulli
  • Animator Josephine Mark
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from You Are What You Eat